Three Questions heading into week 1 for the Patriots

1. How will Jimmy Garoppolo look in his first regular season game?

The short answer to this question is nobody knows the answer and I’m not going to pretend I do. He didn’t look that impressive during the preseason but that doesn’t tell us much. Questions have surrounded Garoppolo ever since being by the Patriots out of Eastern Illinois. Could he make the jump from an FCS-school to the NFL and is he the guy that will eventually take over for Tom Brady, were some of the most asked questions. The Cardinals defense was 2nd in the league in takeaways, behind Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson and Tyron Matheiu so he has to be aware of those guys all game. . No matter what Garoppolo does in these four games he’s not going to start over Brady in week 5 vs Cleveland but these games will determine his future value. The most likely scenario if Garopollo performs well, is to use him as a chip to leverage another team to give up draft picks by either attempting to trade him for him in the offseason or something I haven’t heard any one talk about; trading him after week 4 but before November 1^st to a team that thinks they’re in playoff contention this this season to a team that thinks they’re one quarterback away from making a run in the playoffs.

2. Will Martellus Bennett step up without Rob Gronkowski?

Martellus Bennett has the talent to be one of the best tight ends in the league. I didn’t believe the rumors that he could have been on the cutting block at the end of the preseason. Traded from the Bears during the offseason, Bennett is a Pro Bowl tight end who stands 6’6, 275 pounds and has the power to run block, the quickness to pass block, and the size & agility to beat a lighter defensive back on a pass route. He only played in eleven games last year coming off a career year the year before racking up 916 yards on 90 receptions and 6 touchdowns. I think Garoppolo will look to Bennett often to help advance the offense down the field tonight and I think Patriots fans are going to be impressed with his athleticism.

3. Can the offensive line keep Chandler Jones in check?

During the off season the patriots traded Pro Bowl defensive end Chandler Jones to the Craidnals  for former 1^st round draft pick and often injured guard Jonathan Cooper, a 2^nd round pick who they turned  into a third-rounder guard Joe Thuney and a fourth-rounder, receiver Malcolm Mitchell who had a good preseason before injuring his elbow and who I believe is going to be a deep threat for the Patriots once he is healthy again. Back to Jones and the offensive line, speculation around the league was that he was traded because of his 2015 incident with synthetic marijuana; but I believe that wasn’t the only reason. Jones will become a free agent at the end of this year and even though the Patriots have the most salary cap space in the NFL. They also have a lot of big names entering the last year of their contracts and may not be able to pay everyone which is a topic I will dive into in another blog. I expect Jones to have a big game because he has something to prove tonight on the field and throughout the season being in a contract year. Jones will face Pats tackles Cameron Flemming and Marcus Cannon, who’s filling in for injured tackle Sebastian Vollmer. These are former teammates he’s gone up against for years in practice and I think Jones gets to the quarterback at least once tonight.

Update: Wr Malcom Mitchell is active for tonight’s game

Scottyd
@Dpo12s

Kids Cancer Buzz Off 2K14 Gillette Stadium

I decided last minute to head down to Gillette Stadium and shave my head for the Kids Cancer Buzz-Off. Personally, I remember buzzing my own head when I was 20 years old. Just days after Christmas in 2007 and right before starting 28 rounds of chemotherapy and surgery at Dana Farber. It all happened so fast and I don’t think about it much, but as I was sitting in the chair a few hundred feet from where I use to sell beer to Mrs. Wilfork and other wife’s of players inside the Fidelity Clubhouse at Gillette Stadium, where I was working when the Patriots were going undefeated, to find myself watching playoff games at Brigham & Women’s hospital. I looked back and thought about that as they were shaving my head. I can honestly say, I’m a better and stronger person today and because of that, I’ve decided to donate my time, effort, and funds anytime I can to the kids that gave me my motivation during the darkest & loneliest days of my life. My perspective on life changed 180°. I have been fortunate enough to speak on the Dennis & Callahan show simulcast on WEEI/NESN, speak to 40 future doctors at Harvard Med during a Q&A class, in which I could give them the patient side to the chemotherapy they were studying, along with many other experiences. I just figured I could make a donation myself, chat with Rob Gronkowski and Jermaine Wiggins about the Patriots, but found out once I arrived, you must raise $300. I still can’t thank all of you that donated a few years ago to the Dennis and Callahan Morning Show for the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon. We were able to raise $6,000 exactly (thanks to a last minute hundred dollar bill from John Dennis), not to mention the millions raised over those two days. I’d be happy with $300 total, but I’m sure we will surpass that. One dollar or one hundred dollars, whatever you feel you can afford. Every dime will go to a kid that probably needs it more than you do. I’ll be accepting donations for the next few weeks and then I have to turn it in.

KMO32 always in my heart

Thank You & God Bless!

– Scotty D

@Dpo12s

New England Patriots Top Draft Pick Highlights

Being a Boston based blog and Patriots fans, we want fans to get familiar with the Pats top draft picks:

Easley would have been a top 10 pick if he didn’t tear both of his ACLs in college. When healthy, he is an extremely talented player that can play all along the defensive line and brings a lot of potential. He tore his right ACL last September, so he is close to being fully healthy and the Patriots can afford to ease him on until he’s ready. I think Easley will see the field and contribute this year.

I was shocked when the Patriots picked Garoppolo, I thought they were going to draft another position and didn’t know what to think of the pick. In a week since the draft, the pick has started to grow on me. Garoppolo is a good prospect and the quarterback he looks up to and models his game after is none other than Tom Brady. He will eat up anything and everything Brady has to say while he learns from the best. If you have the time, here is Garoppolo’s QB Camp with Jon Gruden in full, it’s pretty interesting and you get an inside look on what Garoppolo is all about: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

– MPT

MPT’s Final 2014 NFL Mock Draft

The NFL Draft is finally here! Here is my fourth and final mock before the draft. Previous updates can be found here: Mock Draft 1.0, Mock Draft 2.0, and Mock Draft 3.0

MPT’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft 3.0

With the NFL Draft just a week away, here is the third version of my mock draft. The first two installments of my mock draft can be found here: Mock Draft 1.0 and Mock Draft 2.0. Let’s get on to the picks:

MPT’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

Here is the second version of my mock draft with the addition of the 2nd round in this update. If you missed my first mock last week, you can find it here: MPT’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft. Now on to the picks:

MPT’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft

The NFL Draft is my favorite event in sports. The first draft I ever watched was in 1998 (I was 10 years old) and became infatuated with the process. Franchises rebuilding their teams, analysts breaking down each pick, the highlights they would show after each pick, the trades, the reaches, who will become a Pro Bowler, who will be a bust, and who will be a late round gem. Since that first draft I saw back in 1998, I have watched every year in it’s entirety. My friends and I have done some mock drafts over the past couple years, but never published one. So here is my first mock to be published. Take a look and let me know what you think:

NFL DRAFT HANGOVER: AFC East

A review of the draft classes for teams in the AFC East:

Pats CB Dennard Won’t Miss Any Time

The New England Patriots received some good news today. Starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was sentenced to 30 days in jail, beginning March 1st in 2014, and 2 years probation for assaulting a police officer outside of a bar around the University of Nebraska campus a week before the 2012 NFL Draft. Prior to the incident, Dennard was considered to be a 1st or 2nd round pick. His draft stock plummeted, leaving people to wonder if he would be drafted at all. The Patriots took a chance on him in the 7th round. With the secondary being a weak spot and struggling, Dennard saw significant playing time. He played in 10 games, starting 7, for the Pats (missed 6 games due to hamstring and knee injuries). Dennard finished the season with 35 tackles, 3 interceptions (1 returned for a TD), and 1 forced fumble. He was also one of the major reasons that helped the Patriots secondary and defense improve over the course of the season. It is not expected that Roger Goodell and the NFL will drop the hammer and suspend Dennard, since the incident was before he made it into the NFL. But, you never know with Goodell. So, we will just have to wait and see.

-MPT

Gronkowski Suffers Setback

Yesterday, news came out that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski may need a 4th surgery on his broken forearm.  The surgery would be to remove the metal plate in his arm to make sure there is no infection in the area. If nothing is found, a new plate will be inserted and there would be no issue of Gronk missing any time. If any signs of the infection is still there, the estimated recovery time is 10 weeks and Gronkowski’s availability for the beginning of the season would be in jeopardy. Doctors are still discussing non-surgical options and are still a few weeks from determining whether Gronkowski’s infection will clear after finishing a cycle of antibiotics, which should ultimately decide whether he will need to undergo surgery or not. More information can be found on the links above. While nothing is clear now, we will have a better picture of what will happen later this month.

-MPT